Writetober 2016
by unashamed-shipper
Summary: I'm using most of the Inktober prompts to create a fanfiction version of the artists' popular month. Enjoy!
1. END

"Lucy!" Natsu's yelled, immediately running over and grasping her in his arms.

Rage and sorrow overtook him as he gazed upon her. Her once beautiful eyes were now blanketed in blood, and so was her stunning hair. Picking up a strand of it, he sniffed it deeply.

It smelled like her. And Lucy smelled like home to him. She would forever be home to him. Whenever he was afraid, he thought of her and how he would survive and live for her. His beautiful constellation; oh how she shone! When her hair hit the light, he swore she was a star. Her whole being was wrapped in ethereal light, and she was as bright as the sun. She was powerful yet beautiful, and he wanted so much to just hold her forever.

But now he was holding her in his arms as she lay dead. This was never what he intended, never what he wanted. He only wanted to protect the one person he loved the most, and now she was gone.

"No..." he said, tears forming in his eyes and flowing onto his cheeks. Rapidly they fell, and he let his tears fall.

A roar came out of his mouth that was louder and full of anguish. Natsu felt his fingers turn into claws, and his teeth lengthen into points. Emotions of pure rage overtook him, and his eyes narrowed to slits.

With a growl, he placed Lucy on the floor to rest. A single tear fell out of his left eye and wiped it away with a claw. Ever so gently, he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead.

"I'll be back, Lucy," he told her, his voice a hoarse snarl, and went off to find the man who did this to his love.

Zeref. The bastard had killed the woman he cared about most. And now he was going to have hell to pay.

He had to protect her. Even though she was dead now, he still had to fight for her. Hopefully he would never have to do this to fight for his love ever again. He lost her once... he never thought he would lose her once more.

Now, as Natsu prepared himself to fight, he knew just one thing: the END was near.


	2. Noise

Natsu clutched his head in pain with a roar, his headache ever building.

The noise was so loud. It was echoing throughout his head, reverberating in his being. With a groan, he fell on the floor and grew into a ball.

Numerous voices and faces filled his mind, and he massaged his temples in effort to rid himself of them.

Future Lucy's bloodied face and screams seemed to vibrate in his mind. His expression became one of concern and empathy.

"Lucy, I won't let you die again. I'll never leave you," Natsu whispered, and his mind brought him to a place where he never thought he'd be: love. Maybe it was because he forced himself to grow up so quickly when Igneel died, and he never experienced real, romantic love.

But with Lucy, he felt like he was floating whenever he was with her. She was so positive, even when times were hard. And she always believed in him no matter what crazy plan he had. And by the way Lucy looked at him, she loved him as well.

The expression of love turned to one of pain as his own brother's narrowed eyes and spiky hair appeared. His brother's arrogant voice taunted him loudly, and Natsu snarled, teeth bared and claws at the ready.

Zeref was the one who ordered Dimaria to kill her. And Natsu hungered for revenge for Lucy, the only woman he had ever loved.

"Zeref, I promise I'll find you," Natsu vowed with a growl, "and when I do, I will kill you."

A promise made in the noiseless dark was not one to be broken.

But for Natsu Dragneel, otherwise known as END, his oaths were never shattered. And this one was no exception.


	3. Collect

Natsu had always been somewhat sentimental, and he was sure most of that had to do with Lucy. Ever since he met her, he had collected things from the missions they went on together. Her maid outfit, the salamander autograph, and quite a few other things stood in his house as he stared at them.

With a strike of inspiration, he called Lucy to tell her about their plans for the evening. Everything had to be perfect today.

"Meet me at Hargeon where we met, Luce," he told her, and Lucy gasped.

"Hargeon? But that's so far away!" he could hear the annoyance in her voice, and Natsu knew he had to ease the situation.

"Just meet me there at six. Love ya, Luce!" he ended the call, and began getting ready. Six o' clock was only a few hours away, and he had to make it right.

Today was the day he proposed to his girlfriend.

* * *

Lucy walked out onto the plaza where the met, curious and confused about what Natsu had planned for her.

"Happy?" she asked hesitantly, running over to the small blue exceed. Happy flew into her arms, and she cradled him like a small baby.

"Natsu told me to give this to you, Lucy!" Happy held out his paws and in it was the Salamander autograph with a note attached.

'Lucy,' it read, 'I know you didn't like this guy, but I know you liked the real Igneel. He would be proud of us. Your next step is to go to the spot where we first exchanged names.'

Natsu had signed with a flourish, and Lucy giggled at his terrible handwriting. It was amazing that she could read it, much less comprehend what he wanted her to do.

"Where we first exchanged...?" Lucy thought out loud, and Happy piped in to remind her.

"Don't you remember, Lucy? That restaurant where you fed us!"

"Of course!" Lucy grinned, and Lucy and Happy went off together to 8 Island.

There, they found Lucy's maid outfit.

"What the hell did he intend by this?!" Lucy shouted, causing commotion from the rest of the customers.

"Miss, please quiet down and look in the pockets. Your boyfriend stuck something there," the waitress told her with a bored voice, and Lucy opened up the letter inside the left pocket and read.

"Luce, I know I'm not good at table manners, but at least the person sitting at the table with you is," Natsu had scrawled.

"Huh?" Lucy's brows furrowed, and she tipped the paper down to see her best friend waving at her while eating some fries.

"Levy! What are you doing here?" Lucy smiled and got up to embrace her friend.

"I can't tell you that, Lu! But this is the next place Natsu wants you to go to," Levy wiped her mouth with a napkin and produced a map from her pocket and placed it on the table.

When the paper skidded over to Lucy's side, she took a look at it. The paper had an x where Lucy and Natsu had fought Bora for the first time: Hargeon Bay.

"Why is he taking me to all of these places?" Lucy wondered while taking a fry off of Levy's plate.

Levy smacked her friend's hand away, but let her take a fry anyway. "I dunno, Lu, but it's gotta be romantic," Levy said with a wink, and Lucy blushed.

Natsu was never really a romantic guy, but maybe something big was about to happen...

* * *

Natsu stood in his suit, cursing the monkey suit for being so tight. He knew Lucy would like it, but if she so as much hugged him, he knew that there would be trouble.

But it was all for her. And tonight, everything was about her.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, and she grinned and waved at her boyfriend. "What's all this?"

"I still can't tell you, Luce," he told her, taking her hand.

Lucy looked out into the bay with confusion. What was Natsu planning this time? He was dressed nicely, oddly enough, and she was just in her regular outfit of a skirt and top.

The waves came onto the shore softly, hitting their feet and making Lucy shudder at the cold. Natsu saw this and took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she told him, pecking his cheek. Natsu flushed, and grasped her hand tighter. They shared a soft smile before kissing, and Natsu's soft moan could be felt in her mouth when it entered his.

Lucy heard a camera shutter click. She detached herself from her boyfriend and whirled around to see Juvia taking some pictures with Gray at her side. Lucy flushed. Did they see them making out...?

"Gray-sama! Juvia wants Gray to do something like this when he propos-" Juvia's cries were cut off by Gray placing a hand over her mouth with a soft shushing.

"Proposing? Natsu is..." Lucy's eyebrows shot up, and she turned to Natsu who was still holding her hand.

But he was now on one knee and had a small velvet box in his hand.

"Lucy Heartfilia," he began in a strangled voice, but then cleared his throat and continued, "I'm not good with words...but I know that you are the most important person in the world to me. When we met, I thought you were a weirdo. And that hasn't changed," Natsu smirked.

"Hey!" Lucy shouted, but stopped when Natsu continued.

"But you will forever be my weirdo. So Lucy," he told her, letting go of her hand to pop open the box to reveal a stunning oval diamond with smaller ones encircling it. The diamond practically floated in it's yellow gold setting, and Lucy gasped.

"Will you do the honor of being my wife?" Natsu asked her, tears welling in his eyes.

"Yes!" Lucy shouted, tackling Natsu to the ground. Natsu grabbed Lucy's left hand softly and pushed the ring onto her ring finger. Gray came over and picked up the ring box from Natsu's hand so the man could wrap an arm around his fiancée.

Lucy started to cry softly as she embraced her fiancé. He was so smart to collect all of these things that meant so much to them. As they shared a kiss, Natsu wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. They were to be married in whatever time they decided. Nothing could be better than this.

"Smile!" Juvia grinned, and Lucy held up her left hand with a big grin and Natsu pointed at her hand while smiling at the camera.

It was perfect, and the proposal was so very Natsu. And that was what made it perfect for Lucy. That it was he that made it for her, not anyone else.


	4. Coffee

"I'll take a venti quad caramel macchiato extra hot, no foam, half sweet, skim with sugar-free raspberry syrup and upside down," Erza counted off of her fingers to help the barista staring at her owlishly over his ray ban glasses.

"With lots of whip, please," she told him, and the man looked like he was about to push his head onto the counter and slam it a few times to get rid of the problematic drink.

"...Miss... I don't know if I can make that," the man sighed while rubbing his jaw, which Erza had noted when she walked in was well defined. And not many people were gutsy enough to have a facial tattoo.

"Not to worry, sir," she told him, hopping over the counter and grabbing an apron. Looping the small opening over her head and tying the strings around her waist, she grinned and began to make the next drink that Yukino passed to her.

"What... exactly does that mean?" he asked, running a hand through his somewhat shaggy blue hair and jogging to keep up with this confusing but gorgeous woman.

"I'm your new manager. Erza Scarlet. Pleasure," she told him, sticking out her hand. Hesitantly, the man stepped forward and grasped her hand. He was excited about the new manager, even though she was a little nutty. The old manager had quit after finding a new job, and searching for a new manager had been problematic. Jellal had no idea they had hired a new one until Erza jumped over the counter leaving him confused.

"Jellal Fernandes. Pleasure is all mine," he answered, shaking her hand once.

But that once was all it took to know that she was positively insane. This did not mean, however, that he had no chance to fall in love.

* * *

"Once again, Mr. Fernandes, I will have a quad venti caramel macchiato, extra sweet, no foam, half sweet, extra hot, upside down with lots of whip!" Erza put a hand down on the counter, and Jellal jumped at the sound.

"Miss Scarlet, I don't know how to make that," he told her dryly, and Erza stared back at him until he sighed and started to make the next drink.

"I will order this drink every day until you learn how to make it," Erza smiled at him softly, and today it was Jellal's turn to blush.

Later on that day, Jellal's hands slipped while making a coffee drink, and accidentally he made some water from the dish rag go into the cup. The woman who he was making the drink for was watching, and yelled at him for the problem he made. Thankfully, Erza was there and defended her employee's honor while using the hose to clean out the canisters and sprayed the woman. After that fiasco, he wasn't feeling particularly good about himself.

Hours later, a wire-thin man danced his way to the front to order the craziest drink that Jellal had even heard of.

"Miss Scarlet, I'm not sure how to make this one," Jellal admitted as he eased up on the syrup of the drink after he added the coffee shots and everything he knew how to make. Sighing, he rubbed his jaw once more, which caused Erza to stare at it.

When he noticed she was staring, he gave her a small smile and Erza flushed softly. A few moments passed in silence, and they played eye contact tag, unwilling to meet the other's eyes.

"I'll take over, then," Erza said, clearing her throat and taking the drink from his hand, brushing his fingertips. She finished the drink within seconds.

She counted off the many complicated qualities of the drink before calling out the name "Vjeeter", and seconds later a tall man practically did a ballet routine over to the counter and grabbed his drink.

"How...?" Jellal asked, and she chuckled softly.

"Many years of practice makes a barista," she answered before clocking off for the day. Jellal watched her swaying form before giving himself a mission: he would find out how to make her drink. And he would find out soon.

This flirting and banter went on for several days until finally one day Jellal became fed up. After she had decided to put an ingredient in her already fantastically topped drink that he was almost sure they didn't carry, Jellal was determined to investigate how to make this beverage.

* * *

Jellal spent his day off trying to figure out Erza's complicated drink. After a few moments of research, he found out that all he had to do were a few simple things. Satisfied, he smiled victoriously and tapped his computer to turn off for the night.

The next morning, Erza ordered her complicated drink again with a grin.

"Coming right up," he said, letting a bit of arrogance seep into his voice. Normally he would be gentle with her, but today he was full of confidence.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and he nodded curtly before making her drink with ease.

Moments later, she sipped it with curiosity and found that it was perfect.

"You have improved. Good job. Now on to the next one," she told him, going to grab the next drink.

Jellal placed his hand on hers that was still sitting on the counter, and she stopped mid-step.

The rest of the baristas and everyone in the shop stopped in their tracks. The regulars knew there was a bit more magnetism between the two than the rest of the baristas, and each turned to a friend and hissed about their budding relationship.

"Look at the bottom of the cup," he whispered in her ear, and curiously she tipped the cup and glanced at the bottom.

His phone number was written in a flourish, with his name. Erza chuckled softly and drank her coffee beverage with glee, happy that he had finally noticed her flirting.

Maybe there was a real energy between them. And it had nothing to do with the coffee.


	5. Cosplay

This request was from a friend. I changed my url on tumblr, and he gave me the idea for what I should change it to. This is dedicated to him :) Check out his story on here called Go Go RWBY Rangers.

* * *

"Are you sure this will win the contest, Natsu?" Lucy asked hesitantly while tugging on her black boots to complete the outfit.

"I'm sure, Luce!" he told her confidently, flipping his head over to push the wig onto his head. It was going to be weird having black hair...

They decided to go to the costume contest as a color swapped Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong from RWBY. Natsu had brought up the idea weeks ago, and at first Lucy was against the idea.

"What do you mean, 'color swapped'?" she had questioned a week prior, pointing a finger at his black wig. She had never heard of the term, and it sounded quite strange to her. Did this mean she would also have to change her own hair?

"It means I'll wear all black and you'll wear all bright colors. Not that that's any different from normal," Natsu chuckled from inside the room, throwing his shirt over the door. Lucy rolled her eyes in response.. She liked bright colors. So what?

But seeing Natsu come out of the dressing room in a tighter outfit than normal definitely had its own appeal. His normal clothing consisted of something weird with one arm always uncovered, and looking at him try on the outfit brought a flush to her face.

Well. She definitely didn't know he was this muscled before. If she could take a picture of him right now, she would.

Sure, she knew that he had some muscles from all the times that he had his shirt off, but his leg muscles were also well defined from all the jumping he did from fights. And his biceps weren't bad either…

"What do you think, Lucy?" he asked, glancing up at his best friend.

Her face was red, and her heart was definitely beating faster than before. What the hell was wrong with her? He was her best friend!

"L-let's do it," Lucy stammered, not meeting Natsu's eyes.

And so it was decided.

"Ready to go, Luce?" Natsu asked, turning to stare at her. She certainly looked cute in her leggings and blue shorts. Her ass looked good enough to sink his teeth into, and her chest looked even better. The tuxedo vest was the tiniest bit small on her, causing her cleavage to slightly bounce every time she walked.

Natsu licked his lips as she walked in front of him, careful that she would not turn around. He flushed at his own action. Why was he licking his lips at his best friend's figure?

She was really pretty, that was for sure. But they had teamed up because they were friends, not because they were a couple. And that was for sure.

Once they finally reached the guild hall, Natsu looked around and found that the rest of his friends were dressed in couples costumes as well. Juvia and Gray were dressed as Ariel and Eric from the Little Mermaid, and Elfman and Evergreen as a mummy and a vampire. Alzack and Bisca dressed up as Bonnie and Clyde, and Asuka dressed up like a jailer. The tiny girl chased around her mom and dad as she laughed that she'd catch them one day.

Gajeel and Levy dressed up as another Disney couple, Belle and Adam from Beauty and the Beast. It suited them well, and Levy even had a brown wig on. Her blue and white dress fitted her like a glove, and by the way Gajeel was staring at her it seemed that he wanted something fierce to rip it off of her in the middle of the guild hall.

Lucy squealed and united with her friends in a warm embrace, excitedly telling them how cute they both looked.

"Two Disney princes, huh?" Natsu beelined to Gajeel and Gray, who were spiking the punch.

"Shut yer mouth, Salamander. What are you supposed to be? Some kinda bodybuilder?" Gajeel cackled, throwing back something from a flask.

"Hell no! I'm Sun Wukong from RWBY! And Lucy's my lovely cat faunus," Natsu replied, turning to look at Lucy once more.

"Sounds fuckin' dumb, whoever that is," Gray deadpanned while Juvia held onto his arm.

"As dumb as being a prince, Ice Dick?" Natsu teased, and Gray only glared at him.

"Gray-sama does has an ice di—" Juvia began, but Gajeel went running for the hills and Natsu covered his ears and sang a little. He definitely didn't want to hear anything about Gray and Juvia's sex life! Gross!

"Ready for the costume contest, Sun?" Lucy came alongside Natsu, and he uncovered his ears and gave her a wide grin out of thankfulness.

"You bet!" Natsu told her, unfolding his weapon and beginning to whack her with the staff.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, and she ran around trying to get him to stop before she pulled out her whip.

"Think you're so cool now, Dragneel?" Lucy asked menacingly while using his real last name, but all blood rushed south for Natsu. Watching her brandish a whip was just too stimulating.

And then she started to hit him with it, and it sure wasn't like he saw in the movies.

Maybe they wouldn't win the costume contest, but he definitely would win when he asked her out later that night.

And she said yes.


	6. Lost

"Luce, I think we're lost," Natsu finally admitted, placing his backpack down in the middle of the woods that they had gone through for seven hours. They had been sent on a mission to find a special ingredient for a soup, and the client decided they only needed two people to go on the mission. Natsu had hopped on the bandwagon right away, pulling a confused Lucy along with him.

When they set out, Lucy told him to bring a map and a compass in case they got lost. Natsu grinned his confident signature and told her that they would be fine.

"Besides, Luce, you got me! And if we do get lost, then you have the right to Lucy-kick me," he told her joyfully, and with a flush she answered his remark by letting him know that she would hold him to that if they got lost.

"Stupid Natsu with his cute smile," Lucy cursed herself for not bringing a map along anyway. As she searched for some firewood that Natsu sent her out to find, she noticed the sky darkening and the wind whipping a little fiercer. Shivering, she covered herself with her jacket she brought along with her. Thankfully she knew that it was getting cold, and even the brightest of fires wouldn't make her warm. Finally, she found a few pieces of wood that would work well enough for the fire tonight, and she headed on back to the place where Natsu was.

Once she returned with the firewood, Natsu made the fire and decided to go grab some fish from the nearby stream for dinner. She watched his retreating form illuminated by the glow of the campfire; Lucy's thoughts suddenly turning to Natsu himself.

He was smart. Smarter than she in some ways, and most obviously dumber than her in others. She knew how to write a book, he knew how to build a campfire. She knew maps well, he could get himself lost in the guild hall. She was book smart, and he was survival smart. He knew how to fight, and so did Lucy. Hell, those times together when they fought were the most amazing moments of her life. She felt so in sync with him whenever he threw a punch and she a kick at two different enemies while back to back. They felt in tune with the rhythm of love.

"Love...?" she wondered aloud, gazing up at the bright sky at the constellations. Silently she pointed out every single one. The constellations were her hope in times of darkness, and even in this time of uncertainty, they seemed to be looking down upon her situation. And some nights, they even seemed to smile down upon her.

Natsu surely wasn't Lucy's thought of her perfect man. Her knight in shining armor was handsome and strong and would sing her to sleep every night. He would bring her flowers and they would dance together. He would kiss like the romance novels always showed he would, and he would be romantic always.

But maybe, just maybe, Natsu was absolutely perfect for her. They were alike in some ways, but so different in others. It was like the universe found a way to bring two people with their differences and similarities together, and nothing could tear them apart. Natsu was strong and brave where Lucy couldn't be, but in Natsu's weakness came Lucy's strength. She was strong in his weakness, and he was there for her in her times of need. They completed each other, the yin and yang of each one perfectly intertwined.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked, and she jumped at the noise of the deep rumble of his voice. With a start, she realized that he had tied his scarf around his head and taken his shirt off. Slowly, her gaze started at his eyes and traveled down until it met his hips. She knew if she looked further down her thoughts would become naughtier, so she kept herself from stealing a peek lower.

Natsu smirked. "Like what you see, Luce?" he questioned, his voice a little huskier than normal. His eyes also seemed to travel down her form with more than enough hunger, and quickly they traveled back up to her eyes.

Neither wanted to look at each other. This was just too much newness for the both of them. It had to go back to normal sometime.

But then again, when was their relationship ever normal? He had rescued her from falling to her death during the battle with Phantom Lord, and even then he knew that he had a weakness for her breasts. She had watched him watch her future self be murdered, and the look in his eyes was darker than she'd ever seen. He knew he had to protect her then, and that if she ever died he would never love again.

"You could say that," she answered, not meeting his eyes. Within the blink of an eye, he had her in his arms and was twirling her around bridal style.

"It was always you, Lucy," he admitted, his voice decidedly content now.

It was then that their lips met with care and with the awkwardness of firsts. Lucy bit back her grin and kissed him back, and smelled his natural scent of the campfire and pine. He had always smelled like that, but today it was just a little sharper than normal. Lucy hesitantly opened her mouth and slid her tongue inside his mouth, and with a soft moan that reverberated between hers, he allowed her in. Back, forth, back, forth, their tongues darted inside of each other's mouths as if playing a game of tag or hide and seek. His tongue always seemed to find hers at the right moment, and seconds later heat started to pool at the base between Lucy's legs.

She knew she had to stop now. If they got too much farther, she knew that they would be doing something she was not comfortable with.

But it was Natsu that broke away at that moment, and his chest heaved in tune with hers.

"That," he sighed happily, "was fucking amazing."

"Yeah," she replied, burying her head into his hard chest. She could hear his heart thumping, and she liked the sound of it.

Their kiss really was amazing. Lucy began to fall asleep within seconds because of how comfortable she was, and Natsu hummed her a lullaby and stayed with her until he knew she was completely asleep. He stroked her golden hair and looked upon her with such a loving glance that Aphrodite would be green with envy. Lucy awoke in the morning to find wildflowers beside her pillow along with a short note telling her that he had gone out to find breakfast. With a loving sigh, Lucy resigned to herself that maybe the stars really did smile down at them that fateful night.


	7. Hidden

"You sure you're ready, Lucy?" Natsu asked, looking in the mirror and straightening his tie. Glancing in the mirror to look behind him, he noticed Lucy starting to choke up. She looked so beautiful, and he was so ready to share this moment with her.

"I'm fine, Natsu," she told him, sniffing and wiping her eye. She lifted her chin and gave him that smile that made him fall in love all those years ago.

* * *

They had first met when he had saved her from some bandits that were capturing young girls and selling them into slavery. Natsu had jumped onto the scene without taking the slightest glance at the person he was saving and yelled at the bandits to back off. When they did not, a few well-placed punches conveyed what noisy words could not. Once the bandits were knocked out, Lucy stuck out her hand to thank the man that saved her life.

Natsu looked at her hand, and then at her face. The shock that was sent to his brain when he looked at her was quite electrifying indeed. Her hair cascaded in golden waves, and her smile was bright and genuine. As he gazed down at her, he noticed that her body wasn't bad either. She was built curvy but strong, and he knew that if she wanted to defend herself, she definitely could.

She took him to a restaurant in thanks, and while Natsu had his fill, Lucy told him all about herself.

"I want to join this fighter's guild, Fairy Tail, but they say that only the best fighters around get in," Lucy let him know, putting a hand on her cheek and starting to fangirl. "Although, I could rely on my good looks and natural charm. These aren't for nothing, you know."

She stuck out her chest a little to explain, and Natsu almost spit out his drink that he had just taken a swig of. It was true that she was gorgeous, but did she have to flaunt it like that? Guys were going to be lining up the block just to date her. How the hell could awkward, klutzy Natsu ever stand a chance?

"Besides, I think that I'm pretty strong anyway. I did take some judo classes in school," Lucy fake threw a punch, and Natsu admired her form and also her toned muscles that tensed when she punched. The girl had skill, and even he was willing to admit that.

"Well then why don't you join? I know they'd want to accept ya," Natsu told her, shoving another sandwich straight into his mouth and swallowing without chewing.

Lucy made a face at the action and then made one of confusion. "How do you know that they'd be willing to accept me?"

"I'm a part of the Fairy Tail guild. My name's Natsu. It's nice to meet you," he told her, and Lucy practically jumped out of her chair in excitement.

"Why didn't you tell me that in the first place? I'm Lucy!" she exclaimed with a grin, and Natsu was surprised at how gorgeous it was.

Natsu began to get to know Lucy over the coming weeks. He found out that they had the same taste in music and that they both really liked action anime. They spent time together watching anime that he recommended to her, and they even made a blanket fort.

"I can't believe that Ed's dad was Hoenheim all along!" Lucy sighed as she and Natsu finished an episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Natsu just chuckled at how cute she looked when she was upset.

"Just wait, there are even more surprises, Luce!" he said with a grin. Lucy just grinned back and replied that she was happy to have watched it with him.

"Hey, Natsu?" she asked, and Natsu paused his search for food to turn to look at Lucy.

"Yeah?" he answered, and her eyes were glued to the floor. By the looks of it, she was nervous about something. She was biting her plump lower lip between her teeth, and she was wringing her hands like she was waiting for some news.

"When do you think I'll have tryouts for the guild? I know they hold them every year, but I don't know when, and I'm really worried that I won't be good enough to get into the guild. I heard that they only accept the best, and—" Lucy trailed off, listing things off of her fingers about why she wouldn't be a good fit for the guild. She liked to eat junk food, she spent too much time watching tv and not training, she needed to learn to properly kick, and her weight wasn't at what she wanted it to be. Endless things were listed until Natsu stopped and put his hand over his to stop her counting.

Lucy stared down at their hands in disbelief. She had only met Natsu a few months ago, so why did her hand fit so well in his? Her face warmed as he put his other hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes.

"Just because you're not in the best physical shape doesn't mean that you're not a good fighter, Lucy. I know that you're strong. Hell, you could kick a few people's asses that are already in the guild!" Natsu replied with a laugh, and Lucy's eyes crinkled up in contentment. He was always so kind to her and willing to help out.

"Thank you, Natsu," she said, cheeks flushing. Quickly, she rose to her toes and pecked his cheek. Natsu took his hand from hers and rubbed his cheek affectionately with a smile, and they stared each other in the eyes.

Their staredown lasted only a few seconds before Happy, Natsu's Russian Blue cat, decided to hook his claws into Lucy's leg and climb up to rub his head all over her cleavage.

"Ow! Damn cat!" Lucy growled, detaching the cat from her stomach.

'Lucky cat,' Natsu thought, but then dispelled his thoughts immediately. He wasn't going to be any help to her training if he thought like that. Sure, he was starting to grow an attraction to her, but that didn't mean that she was his. He first had to ask her out on a date.

And with that, Natsu suddenly had an idea.

"Lucy?" he asked, and Lucy's expression turned from glaring at the cat to a genuine expression of excitement.

"Yes, Natsu?"

"Would you, I mean, do you, want to, I dunno, do something with me tomorrow?" Natsu questioned, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"We are doing something tomorrow, silly! We're training all day! And that means that you've gotta get your rest. I better get going," Lucy laughed, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"N-no, that's not what I meant by doing something with me tomorrow," Natsu stammered, his eyes glued to the floor. Lucy swiveled around and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Wait a minute. Do you mean a date?" Lucy finally raised the question, and Natsu started to sweat under his collar. He pulled the scarf away from his neck awkwardly, and coughed.

Their eye contact was held for a few moments as there was a pause in the conversation. It was so damn awkward asking someone out! And why was it so nerve-wracking to actually admit that he was asking her out?

Suddenly, Natsu had another idea.

"Psh, no," he answered, running a hand through his hair to try to seem cool, "that's not at all what I meant Lucy. I meant to hang out as friends." Real smooth, Natsu, real smooth. She'll totally know that was a joke!

Lucy said nothing, but looked a little let down. She wore a frown on her beautiful face, and her eyes were now glued to the phone with a look of concern.

Shit! Maybe she really did want to go on this date. But he couldn't back out now. He would have to ask her out another time.

"What was I thinking? Us, dating. Can you imagine that?" Lucy looked up from her phone and said suddenly with a laugh, and Natsu replied with a laugh of his own. She totally understood!

"Yeah, I definitely wouldn't want to date you," he agreed with a goofy grin. Within seconds, Lucy's smile dropped and she looked like she was about to bite his head off with the scowl she wore. He was definitely in trouble now.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know I was such a terrible option!" Lucy put her phone in her pocket and threw her arms up in the air.

"No, it's not that, it's just—" Natsu attempted to explain, but Lucy grabbed her jacket and headed to the door.

"Forget it. I'll see you tomorrow, Natsu," Lucy glared at him before opening the door and walking out with defiance.

How could he mess up this badly? He didn't mean to say that out loud, and he was just joking!

With a sigh, Natsu lowered himself to his knees and pulled on his hair. Damn that beautiful woman for causing his head to spin!

It had been a long day. He was tired. And with a soft yawn, he pulled himself into bed and fell asleep. Tomorrow would be a long day as well.

The next morning, he woke up and called Lucy to make sure she was awake. Once plans were set, they found a gym was the perfect meeting spot.

Natsu threw on a navy t-shirt and jeans and tossed together a bag of things he would need: water bottle, snacks, gym clothes, and tennis shoes. Today was going to be an amazing day of training, and the day when he would finally get Lucy to go out with him for the first time.

Once he got there, Natsu met Lucy at the gym. She looked gorgeous as always with her hair in a ponytail and shorts and a croptop that showed off her ab muscles. He didn't think he was attracted to girls' ab muscles until now, but Lucy definitely changed that thought. Hers weren't as fit as his, but he could definitely see the v-shaped lines that went down to her crotch. His eyes travelled down her body and met at those lines, and thankfully he could look since Lucy was talking on the phone with Levy.

She was so beautiful and fit, and he was absolutely sure with all of that that she could last pretty long in bed. The thoughts of her touching him consumed him, and he had to be careful not to get hard. She was now looking at him with a confused look on her face, and he realized then that he was partially drooling. He wiped the drool off of his mouth quickly and walked up to her.

"I'll talk to you later. Bye, Levy." Lucy ended the call and smiled at Natsu. The smile practically electrified him, and he felt a little dazed.

"Hey, Luce! Ready to do some training today?" he questioned.

Depends. Are you going to stand there ogling at me all day?" Lucy teased, and Natsu's face heated up.

"Hey! It's your own fault!"

"My fault? How the hell is this my fault?" Lucy practically shouted, turning a few people's attentions to her.

"You're so hot and I keep staring at your abs! Agh, why do you do this to me, Lucy?" Natsu wailed, grasping his hair. Lucy's face flushed softly but she said nothing.

Silently, they made their way to the boxing room where they began training. Lucy coated her hands with chalk and slid them into the small boxing gloves where Natsu began to show her how to throw a right hook.

"Steady with the jab, Luce," Natsu told her, coming alongside her and reaching his arms over hers to guide her hand. Lucy's face heated up once more, and she attributed it to her body temperature and the heat in the room. Why did they insist on keeping these rooms extra hot if people were going to be sweating in them anyway?

Natsu held her arm and aided her in throwing a punch a few times. He couldn't help but notice that her ass was pressed up against his dick now, and he had to think about Erza beating him up to not get hard this time. It was so difficult with it being so hot in the room, and Lucy's shorts were skintight as hell!

"I-I think I've got it, Natsu," Lucy stammered, throwing a punch for the first time on her own.

"Great, Lucy! You're getting the hang of things," Natsu told her as he detached himself from her and slid over to the punching bag.

"I want you to work on knocking out this punching bag," Natsu tapped it with his hand, and Lucy threw a right hook at it.

Unfortunately, Lucy ended up punching Natsu instead and the man ended up with a bruise on his cheek for the rest of the week.

Later on, they spent time together when Lucy actually joined the guild. Every day, they trained together and watched anime afterwards. Natsu was getting close to asking her out again, and he knew he had to make it romantic. He had to make up for that stupid blunder he made early on, and he really wanted to make it the best night of her life.

That day, when Natsu found his way to the guild to meet with Lucy, she was joking with Loke, another fighter in the guild. Loke's fingers caressed Lucy's face, and Natsu scowled while watching her be romanced by another guy. Natsu's feathers were hypothetically ruffled, and he went over to Loke to ask what the big idea was about stealing the girl he may or may not be completely in love with.

'Love?' Natsu asked himself, and he realized for the first time that the feelings he felt for Lucy had to be romantic love. He wanted to protect her always, and he wanted to be at her side forever. He thought she was gorgeous and was sure that their children would be even more stunning.

'What the hell is wrong with you?' Natsu chided himself, 'if you like her so much, go ahead and ask her out again, idiot!'

It was in that moment that Natsu decided once and for all to ask her out. What did he have to lose? Maybe she'd just be mad at him again, and he might get rejected. But it was worth another shot. Love was something worth fighting for.

When he made his way over there, though, he saw that Lucy was giggling at everything that Loke had to say. Sure, that orange haired bastard was a lot more handsome than he was and ten times more smooth, but that didn't mean that he could just steal his girl!

"Hey, Lucy, let's get out of here and go train! You said you wanted to get some done, right?" Natsu asked.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot all about that! Let's go in a few minutes," Lucy replied with a groan but continued to smile at Loke, never turning to face Natsu.

"Well don't go yet. You gotta get my number first, gorgeous," Loke said with a charming smile, and Lucy giggled as he picked up and kissed the back of her hand suavely.

"Tch, that line is so old," Natsu said, but neither seemed to be hearing him as they typed each other's phone numbers into their phones.

"Okay, Natsu, let's go! Bye, Loke," Lucy waved with a flush, and Loke bowed.

"Always a pleasure to meet a true princess," Loke said with a wink, and Lucy flushed even more.

"How do you even stand that guy?" Natsu asked when he finally caught up to her, and she held her cheek with a sigh.

"He's perfect! He's smart and handsome and he can totally protect me. Ahh, he's like my knight in shining armor!"

"I could be your knight if you want me to, Luce," Natsu told her bluntly, but Lucy just giggled as she texted Loke from her phone.

"He asked me out on a date! Should I say yes?" Lucy asked, shrieking.

Natsu's eyes drained of the light within them, and he felt like he had a rock in his stomach that he needed to throw up. He suddenly felt woozy too, and his body felt ice cold.

That was it. Natsu had officially lost her. She was all Loke's now, and there was nothing he could do about it.

But he had to let her be happy. If not with Natsu himself, then it had to be with someone else. And that someone else to her was Loke. Her happiness was much more important to him than his feelings, and it was time that he accepted that. As weakness seeped into his veins, he sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair and turned to Lucy.

"Sure, Luce," Natsu smiled weakly, cold sweat pouring down from his forehead, "If that's what will make you happy, I'm all for it."

Maybe it was because his feelings were hidden from her for so long. They had only known each other a few months, but Natsu truly did feel in love with her. She was everything that he ever wanted, and now, he had lost her.

And that feeling would never truly go away.

* * *

Natsu helped Lucy up from her chair, and Lucy smoothed her dress. She looked beautiful in white satin and with pink flowers in her put up golden hair, and her dress fit her body like a glove. In heels, she was almost Natsu's height.

"Ready?" Lucy asked him, echoing his question he had asked moments prior.

Natsu smiled softly, but inside he was dying. This was his last chance to take her back and love her in his own way, and have her become his. His insides ached to kiss her and run away with her for the last time and leave that bastard that stole her in the first place at the altar confused.

But Natsu resigned it to himself that she needed to be happy. And her happiness, once again, was much more important than his stupid feelings.

Natsu tipped his head up and pressed his lips to her smooth forehead and sniffed her hair. He had to let her go. Tears welled in his eyes, but he squeezed his eyes so he wouldn't cry.

"As I'll ever be, Luce."


	8. Rock

Natsu did a double-take when he saw the beautiful woman walk through the door. She was like an angel sent down to earth, and it hit him at that moment that he had to marry her. He had been there looking for a game to buy, but he never knew that his future wife would walk through the door!

At least, he hoped it was his future wife. He had never seen the woman before, but he thought she was so pretty that he wanted to propose to her right away. And she seemed nice by the way she treated the cashiers in the food court where she sat laughing with her friends. The small blue haired one had her nose in a book but contributed to conversation, and the taller one with the brown hair kept slinging an arm around her friend's shoulders or groping her boobs. They were a weird bunch, of course, but what was keeping him from going over there?

But first, he had to find a rock to give her. That was the height of the proposals with the penguins that he worked with every day, and he knew that it would woo her over to his side. They'd be husband and wife by morning!

Natsu excitedly ran into the nearest gift shop and rifled through the small smooth stones that you could put in a bag for a dollar.

"Is there anything I can help you find, sir?" the clerk asked with a smile, walking around to the corner Natsu was in.

"No thanks. I'm finding a stone for my future wife. And I think I just found one!" he exclaimed, picking up the stone.

It was a light lavender purple and smooth with shimmery elements, and he saw it right away while going through the pile.

"Um, of course, sir. I guess if you're proposing to your wife today, it'll be on the house," the clerk said awkwardly. He had never known anyone to pick out a stone other than a diamond on a band to propose to their sweetheart with. What was the harm in helping the young man have some fun?

"Aw, thanks! I appreciate it!" Natsu yelled as he ran out of the store as quickly as he had come in.

* * *

"So, are ya gonna go out with what's-his-face again, Lucy?" Cana asked, sipping her coke through a Twizzler. Cana loved sipping coca cola through candy, and the only one that was closest to a straw was a Twizzler. And you could eat it afterwards! How cool was that?

"His name is Dan. And I dunno, he seemed a little fake to me," Lucy admitted, taking a fry and throwing it into her mouth.

"Lu, when I met him he told me that his two favorite things to do were long romantic walks on the beach and kissing in the rain. And he told that to Mira, Juvia, and Cana too. He's just using you," Levy scowled, pushing her nose further into the book to read more about the language she was currently learning.

"I-I guess so. I just hope that one day I can find a guy that's really nice and that will accept me for who I am," Lucy sighed, taking another couple of fries from her tray and dipping them in ketchup before tossing them in her mouth. What was the harm in eating junk food if you were 25 and were still single, even after high school, college, and graduate school? Lucy was successful as hell, but she excelled in writing cute stories, not having an adorable love story of her own.

Suddenly, a stone was plopped right in front of Lucy's tray. A tanned hand placed it there, and she looked up to see who the hell it was attached to.

A tall, pink-haired man stood above them, looking straight into Lucy's eyes. Lucy shuddered at how intense the direct eye contact was. The man's eyes were like a sage green, and it shocked Lucy how pretty they were. And the rest of the man wasn't bad either. His forearms were what drew her to him immediately. It looked like he had been doing a lot of heavy labor over the years, and his hands looked rough.

"Can we help you?" Levy asked, peeking up from her book to squint at the man. He was short compared to Levy's own boyfriend, Gajeel, but he wasn't too bad. And maybe he'd look good by Lucy's side.

"Yeah. I'm Natsu, and I want to marry the cute blonde sitting next to you," Natsu answered bluntly, and a wave of shock passed through Lucy's brain.

'He wants to marry me? What is this, some kind of joke? Am I being Punk'd?' Lucy wondered, and Cana smirked.

"Her body is great, no doubt. But how are you going to prove to us that you're not some guy just trying to get into her pants?" Cana folded her arms and squared her shoulders. The girl could appear very menacing if she tried, especially with that death glare of hers.

As Cana glared at Natsu, Lucy suddenly felt dizzy under his gaze. It was like he had put a spell on her. Her cheeks started warming and her mind was foggy. He was cute, of course, but that didn't mean that she had to act like a complete idiot!

"Nah, this isn't a joke! See, the penguins that I work with every day always bring the best pebble over to their mate whenever they want to mate with them for life, and I thought the human equivalent to that was to bring a pebble over here and ask you to marry me," Natsu flopped down on the seat across from Lucy, and Lucy realized that she had spoken aloud.

"You work with penguins?" Lucy questioned, surprised. The man looked like he worked at a construction site, not with animals! She watched the man with curiosity. Just what secrets was he hiding?

"Yep! I work at the Magnolia Zoo full-time with the penguins. They love me! There's even one that accidentally got into some blue ink that follows me around all the time. I named him 'Happy' because he always looks like he's smiling when he squawks for food. The only downside is that I smell like fish all the time." Natsu hung his head, and everyone leaned forward to smell the man.

Lucy detected cologne and a small bit of fish scent, but it wasn't overwhelming. At least she wouldn't have to go home to a husband that smelled like fish everyday…

'A husband?' Lucy's internal monologue nearly shouted, 'You barely know the guy and now you're about to call him your husband?! Get it together, Lucy!'

Lucy shook her head to dispel her thoughts and listened to Levy's next question.

"So what are your interests?" Levy asked the same question that she asked every single guy that tried to date Lucy, or more accurately, get into Lucy's pants. Lucy smiled softly at her friend from across the table, and Levy tipped her head up from her book and smiled back. Levy always had her back, and Lucy was eternally grateful.

"Well, I like to work with animals, but I also like to watch Netflix at home and chow down on some food. I like to watch documentaries about penguins in my spare time, but if it bothers Lucy that much, then I won't watch them around her," Natsu said, considering his words as he spoke them.

"Well, that's a far cry from the last answer we got from a guy who wanted to date Lu," Levy said with a smirk directed at their blonde friend.

"Alright!" Natsu said, jumping up out of his chair and pumping his fist.

"Hold it, pinky. That doesn't mean that you can get hitched yet," Cana said, stealing a fry from Lucy's plate. Lucy glared at her friend, but Cana just shrugged and chewed anyway. Natsu sunk back down in his chair, defeated. It was so easy for penguins…why couldn't it be this easy for humans?

"So what else do I have to do?" Natsu asked, looking at his hands. He thought this was going to be easier than they were making it to be…

"Take me out for dinner a couple of times and then you can propose," Lucy looked into his eyes through her eyelashes, and Natsu's heart thumped in his chest.

"It's a date," he said, rising out of his chair.

Lucy tossed him her phone out of her bag. "Put your number into the phone, and I'll text you later," Lucy said, twirling a strand of hair with a giggle.

Natsu's heart thumped even harder when she giggled. It was a melodic sound that he could definitely get used to hearing.

"Sure!" Natsu said, typing it in quickly in the contacts and handing Lucy's phone back to her. Lucy pocketed it with a smile, and told him to go.

"But leave the stone here," she told him, and Natsu obliged. As he walked away, he could hear the girls whispering about him.

"He has a nice ass, Lucy," Cana whispered, and Lucy smacked her friend on the arm.

"S-shut up!"

Lucy didn't get her husband that day. And it was alright. Just knowing that he was going to be waiting for her was enough, and she loved the fact that he actually proposed today.

Lucy had always wanted a cute proposal in front of the Eiffel Tower with roses and champagne, but maybe all she needed was a handsome man and a rock.


End file.
